Electrolytic process.



. zen of the Kingdom of Belgium, residing at,

UNIT D; STATES PATENT OFFIC JULES. MEURANT, OF LIEGE,BELGIUM.

ELECTROLYTIC Paco-ass.

srncrrrcarron forming part of utter-s Patent-.86. ee4,e5s, dated March 4, 19oz.

mammals December 11,1900. smar -seats. 'mo pecimmn To all whom itnmy con/earn.-

Be it known that I, J ULES MEUBANT, aft-iti- Liege, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Prue-- csses; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willeuablc others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Hitherto in the electrolytic precipitation of metals there have not yet been attained the desiderata of simultaneously realizing and inan economical manner the highly-adherent deposit of metals or of their alloys while not absorbing an unduly large electromotive force for the decomposition of the salts. This double objecthas been attained by the present invention. These advantages are also very happily completed by the fact of being able to constitute the baths at a low price and by the property pos'sessedby these baths of being durable and very resistant to evaporation. From all these advantages it is evident.

that the above-indicated process is particularly suitable to be largely utilized in industry, enabling beautiful and good products to be manufactured at low and remunerative prices. The figures, experiments, and results attained, on a large scale, in practical working (quoted below) enable this process to be appreciated at its real industrial value.

To attain the above results, the bath containing the solutions of metals oralloys and the substances used to favor the electric and chemical action is completed by the addition of the following substances, which, according to the decompositions tobe obtained, will be added to the baths either singly or also mixed together and in various proportions, accor ing to the kind of metals or alloys'tobe obtained. These substances are arabit, 'arabinose, 'xylose, rharmose or isodulcite, saccharin, isosaccharin, metasaccharin, mannite, du'lcite, sorbite, triose or glycerose, tetrose or erythrose, pentose, mannose, glucose, galactose, pructose, sorbinose, formose, *acrose,

methylenitan, glucoazone, isoglucosamine,

osone, glucosone, glucosamiue, the mannoses,

methylexose, mannoheptose, glucoheptose,

methylheptjos'e, mannoctose, nonose, mennonouose, sa'ccharose, lactose, maltose,mycose or trehalose, melibiose, raffin'ose or melitose, melitriose, -melectose,also.the following monoacids, the biacids, and the triabasicacids: the acids arabonic, aposorbinique, trioxyglutaric, saccharonic, trioxyadipinic, desoxalic, oxycitronic, dioxypropantricarbonic, as

also the aldehydes. and the ketones, hexavalents-.that is to say, the aeids'mannitic, gluconlc, dextrinic, mannonic, galactonic, &c.,

the saccharic, mucic, isosaceharic acids, 850.

I add also all the class of gums comprising especially arabine, gunrarabic, the gums of the cou ntry obtained from plum-trees, cherrytrees, apricot-trees, &c.-, wood-gum, vegetable mucilage, anisie bassorin, pectic mathers. I

add also the classes of collagenous and'chandrogenous matters containing ossein, glutine or gelatine and all the kinds of glues, as also chondrin and chitine.

- The'follewing are examples of baths prepared according to my invention, such baths being composed of the materials stated in about the proportions given. 7

First, for the, deposit of zinc I employ (a) chlorid of zinc, one kilogram; (b) carbonate of soda, two hundred and fifty grams; (0) chlorid of ammonium,five hundred grams; id) gum-arable, three hundred grams. The d) gum-arabic may be replaced by five hunash, five hundred grams;'"(c) tartaric-acid,

two hundred grams; (d) gum-arabic, 'onehuhdred and fifty grams. The, protoohloridpf tin and ca'ustic potash are dissolved together,

likewise the tartaric acid and thegrirn-arabic. The whole is mixed together and filtered.

The gum-arable may be replaced by two hundred grams of sugar or three hundred grams of glucose or m-olasses.-

Third, for the deposit of nickel:. (a) sub fate of nickel, five hundred grams; (b) ch10;- rid of ammonium, two hundred and fifty.

grams; (a) citric aeid,'fifty grams; d) 'gnu rarabic, five hundred grams. The sulfate of nickel and the chlorid of ammonium are dissolved together. and likewise the citric acid and gum-arabic. The whole is mixed to- 5 gether and filtered. If the bath is too acid,

it is necessary to neutralize it. Seven hundred and fifty grams of sugar or one thousand grams. of glucose may replace the gumarabic.

Fourth, for the deposit of copper: (a) sulfate of copper, three hundred grams; (5) cyanid of potassium, two hundred grams; ammonia, one hundred grains; (d) gum-arabic, one hundred grams. The sulfate of copper isdissolved in warm water, the ammonia is added to it, the whole isprecipitated by the cyanid (b) until a deep-brown discoloration has been obtained, the gum-arabic is added, and the whole filtered. One hu 0- 2o dred and fifty grams of sugar or-two hundred grams of glucose may replace the, gumarabic.

, Fifth, for the deposit of silver: (a cyanid of potassium, five hundred grams; (b cyanid of silver, two hundred and fifty grams; (0)

gum-arabic, two hundred and fifty grams. Three hundred and fifty grams of sugar or four hundred and fifty grams of glucose. Two hundred and fifty grams of silver are 0 dissolved in seven hundred and fifty grams of nitric acid, the nitrate obtained in four thousand five hundred cubic centimeters of distilled water, hydrocyanic acid is poured into this solution until a precipitate is no longer formed, the precipitate is collected and washed. A solution of five hundred grams of potassic cyanid in ten liters of water receives the precipitate of cyanid of silver. It'is dissolved in it' by a prolonged boiling 40 during an hour. Finally, after filtration the two hundred and fifty grams of gum-arabic are added.

All these baths and others have been successively tried in the laboratory and in small 5 commercial installations. The success of these trials has caused me and my employers to make trials on a large scale in a factory specially arranged for the purpose. These trials have succeeded completely and have shown the practical value of the process. No'alteration of the baths has been found after four months of uninterrupted trials.

The voltage employed has varied according to circumstances from 0.3 to one'volt without ever exceeding this latter figure, with an intensity of current from one-half to one am- 'pere per square decimeter of surface covered.

The constancy of thebath, the non-evaporation or the bath, the feeble voltage re quired, the quantity of metal precipitated,

'one hundred and twenty-five grams ofzinc per squaremeter, constitute so many features which give to the present invention an incontestible commercial value. .With regard to the value and perfection of the products obtained these latter only confirm the excellence of the process, as may be judged by the following trials made upon steel tubes to be used in the Dutch navy. First trial: the crushing of the tube throughout its entire length, so as to completely flatten it; second trial: the flattened tubeis again taken and folded upon itself in the direction of'its width; third trial: the flattening of a ferrule of the tube in the direction of its length-that is to say, that a ferrule cut in the tube is crushed following or in line with All these trials, made after galvanization of the articles, have shown the perfect adherence of the layer of zinc upon steel, neither the flattening, bending, stretching, or tearinghave shown the least alteration of the protecting layer of zinc. mained perfectly adherent. Even upon the stretched tube the layer of zinc has followed the steel in its extension without presenting the least break. All these trials of resistance demonstrate in addition that the process does not take away from the resisting properties of the steel submitted to the galvanizing process, which is sufiioient to distinguish it from other electrolytic, galvanizing processes. All the articles experimented upon have been in addition submitted to special trials to determine the value of adherence of the zinc after these severe tests. Even in this case the layer of zinc remains a perfect protection and prevents the action of rust. In addition, examination under a magnifying-glass ofthe This latter has rearticles submitted to tests of resistance has Having now particularly described and as- I certained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

I declare that what I claim is- 1. The process of coating easily-oxidizable metals with metals less oxidizable and whose chlorids are soluble in water, which consists in forming an aqueous solution of the chlorids of said metals, adding thereto a compound of a metal of the alkalies containing oxygen and adding thereto a solution of chlo-.

rid of ammonia and a carbohydrate, placing in. the mixture the body to be coated as cathode with a suitable anode and passing an electrio current, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. A

2. The process of coating easily-oxidizable metals with metals less oxidizable as zinc and tin, which consists in forming an aqueous so lution of the chlorids of said metals, adding thereto a compound of a metal of the alkaliescontainingoxygen, adding thereto. ammoniu'm' chlorid and a solution containing a sugarv and gelatin, placing in the mixture the body to be coated as cathode with a suitable 1 solution of a suitable salt-ofzinc, precipitat- 'ing zinc bymeans of a suitable carbonate,

7 '4-.- Theprocessiof coating dissolving the latter by meansof ammonium chlorid and adding to the solution gelatin, placing the metallic body to be coated in said solution with a suitable electrode and passinga current of electricity, substantially as described. t

easily-osidizable v metals with zinc, which consists in forming a solution of a chlorid of zinc,"adding-thereto carbonate of an alkali metal, chloridof am- 'monia and gelatin, placing in said solution the body to be coated and asuitable electrode and passing an electric current ofnot over one'volt, and 'a density of notover' one ampere per' square decimeter, substantially as described.- r

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- J ULES MEURAN'T.

Witnesses:

JULES MARIE HUBEn'r Josnrn MouomMr,

HUBERT Fimmux, 

